Terrorism victims honoured at moving ceremony to dedicate memorial

A new national memorial commemorating victims of overseas terrorism is “a symbol of unity, against hatred and violence”, a dedication ceremony has heard.

Defence minister Tobias Ellwood, was speaking at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, led the moving and poignant ceremony to dedicate the memorial, entitled Still Water.

The Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn were among the guests, as were families who had lost loved ones to overseas terrorism.

The National Memorial to British Victims of Overseas Terrorism was designed by artist Alison Wilding and sculptor, Adam Kershaw, as a dedicated place of remembrance, contemplation and reflection.

Charles meets Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn at the dedication service for the National Memorial to British Victims of Overseas Terrorism (Paul Ellis/PA)

Mr Ellwood, whose brother Jon was killed in the 2002 Bali bombings, said: “It is a tragic reality that in a dangerous and complex world, innocent people are now killed – not by accident, but deliberately targeted to promote some barbaric cause.

“Today, here at the arboretum, we can now honour those innocent people, caught up in conflict – as well as the brave and the fallen who have valiantly served our nation.

The Duchess of Cornwall lays flowers during the dedication service (Paul Ellis/PA)

“The terrorist sees only differences and seeks to divide us. But we stand strong and stand together – as we do today.

“Even more united in our determination to uphold our values and not have our way of life challenged.”

During the ceremony Charles said a few words and Camilla laid a small floral tribute, joined by seven-year-old Elisa Cousland, whose father was killed in the Moscow airport bombing in 2011, who also left flowers.

Afterwards the prince and duchess met some of the families who have lost loved ones.